Zutto watashi matteru no
by Twilight's-Mystery
Summary: Nearly a year it's been since chihiro has returned to the human world, she's adjusted and even has a friend. Though, something is wrong..but what? "I'm always waiting for you..."


**Zutto watashi matteru no  
_I'm always waiting for you..._**

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the movie, I would never claim it.. I don't own.. much of anything, 'sides the CD player sitting in front of me.. mwahah, and a lovely Red and White CD player it is..  o.o mine *hugs it tightly and glares around*.... if you're looking for the owner of Spirited Away try Hayao Miyazaki cause that's the mastermind! 

Kat: Yes yes, all bow down before me, I am the queen.   
  
TM: Um.. no..and for the record, this wasn't even-

Kat: Shut up squirell girl! .  
  
Yami: Can we get down to business please? We're kind of on a time schedule here? And I'm quite sure that the readers don't want to hear you women arguing.    
  
Kat & TM: BUTT OUT!  
  
Yami: O.o; fine.. I wasn't even needed for this story yet.. what do I know, I'm just a muse! *runs out*

Kat: Anyways, here we are folks, my little gals' first Spirited Away story.  Be forwarned, we're having fun plotting this..  
  
TM: But have no idea where it's going-  
  
Kat: As of yet! So be patient! ...Ooh Inuyasha's on in a few...

TM: I know.. Inu! So let's make this quick, welcome to my first Spirited Away Fanfiction! I don't know how long it'll be, I don't know what I'm doing with it, or where I want it to go, I have a general idea for a plot, but.. I'm going by no boundaries here, no general goal.  So, whatever happenes, happens.. Oh, and I don't go by Reviews, so... if I get none, no big, if I get a few, cool.. if I get flames...

Kat: They'll go into my Flame Thrower and be put to good use, so flamers, beware, better go annonymous if you do.. I'll be coming after you! ^o.o^

TM: -_-; On with the story. Enjoy!

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Typical would have to be the only way to describe the beginning of school that beautiful spring morning.

The children of class 5-B were chatting away quite happily, scattered about in various areas of the room.  Explosions of giggles could be heard as girls talked about the newest episode of their favorite show, or talked about the latest outfit that they had bought.  Some were settled in corners or at their respective desk reading or working on various assignments or personal projects, while others were pointing and laughing at the boys, who were, in retrospect pointing and grinning at the girls, or playing the newest fad card game.  

The gentle tan walls were lined with assorted drawings, reports or A-assignments that students had done, as well as awards the class had won during the course of that year in the class competitions.  The door to the classroom, on the right side of the room, was being closely guarded by a few kids for the teacher who should be coming any minute. (Having already been a few minutes late...most unusual for a teacher)

The still rising sun began to shine down into the classroom from extra tall windows, facing the forest behind the school, and a few of the students lazed about on the sill and stared outside quietly, or just daydreamed.

However, there was one exception, one young girl who you wouldn't find amidst those happily chatting 10 and 11 year olds.  She was a lone girl sitting at her desk, which was accompanied only by one other desk, that of her work partner and fellow new student, Fumetsu Reikon, who's desk was empty yet, as her friend hadn't arrived quite yet.

Said girl sat quietly dressed in the typical red and purple school fuku, and was half reclined in her seat as she gazed down at her notebook which was opened to a picture she'd been working on for the past few months and perfecting as the weeks went by.  Now that she was happy with it, she was coloring and more so admiring her handywork.  Sighing absently she ran a hand through her now mid back length brunette hair, and proceeded to pull it back into her customary ponytail with the amethyst band that her friends had made for her.  With it she felt a warmth and grace that she just couldn't seem to get from this world.

'It's been...nearly a year,' she mused silently to herself and struggled to ignore the aching in her heart at the memories that rose from the thoughts running through her head.

Nearly a yeard it'd been, since the adventure that had inevitably changed her life, the people that had taught her a lesson in perseverance and self preservation.  From those few days in the bathhouse, she'd grown so much, from the lazy self centered 10 year old, to a brave...though still slightly klutzy heroine, though she didn't quite feel the part.  All she felt, in place, was the loneliness, from the time she let go of his hand, everything she went through seemed, almost...unreal.

"Don't look back..." he had told her, and she had listened, she never looked back.  In a way she never understood that order, and almost wished she would have looked back, if only to catch one more glimpse of..

"Chi-chan, Oi! Chi-chan! Are you alive in there?" a voice and slight tapping at her head startled Chihiro out of her reverie and she jolted back to reality, nearly topping out of her chair with a gasp.

Gathering her wits Chihiro glanced up at the girl now situated comfortably next to her, and smiled apologetically. "Ano..gomen ne Rei-chan, I didn't mean to space," she started to explian but found herself cut off abruptly.

"Ya just couldn't help it, of course! Oh, I know, trust me...it's a school day and us very important females have way more 'important' things to think about than the assignments we're supposed to do.  Like...for instance, what we're going to get you for your birthday!" 

The funny thing about that was, her voice was so serious, one might almost be afraid to smile, the only betrayel being the glittering mirth in her eyes as she spoke. 

"You are kidding, right?" Chihiro asked sitting up in her seat and stretching, a look of amusement set on her face.

"FOOL!" the other girl exploded so loudly that the girl behind them reading, jumped in her place, "How many times do I have to tell you! I AM NOT KIDDING! I'm Chibi! Queen of the Gerbals! If I have to tell you again Chiro-baka, I'll tie you up to the tree outside my house till winter.." Rei paused, and smirked, "Then at nice, the ice weasels will come.  You'll be begging my forgiveness in mere minutes..."

A few of the girls who heard that backed off with wide eyes, some wondering exactly what 'ice weasels' were, others a little too afraid to even begin to guess.  Chihiro managed to keep a straight face for about a record two seconds, nodding her head quietly, before she snorted and dissolved into laughter.

  
Reikon watched her with a smug expression on her face and huffed. "That'll teach you to ge tmy name wrong mortal fool." she joked and crossed her arms, shaking her head and laughing in a haughty manner.

"Oh, Please forgive me majesty," Chihiro choked out and heaved a sigh as she sat up and grinned. "I will never get your name wrong again...if I do I think everybody will throw the both of us out of school."

  
Reclining back in her chair the slightly older of the well known duo smiled in obvious content, "ahh, child, then my job will be complete.  Till then though, I suppose we'll just have to suffer through this horror...speaking of, places everybody! Adult Alert!" she finished and tapped her pen on the desk loudly, which made everybody rush for their seats.  

Every child was in place as the door slid open and an unfamiliar woman stepped in, holding a pink case in her left hand, and something concealed in her right.  Setting her bag down, she shrugged her jacket off and set it half-hazard on the chair behind the desk which was situated in the corner of the room near the board and looked up.

  
Dressed in whitish blue jeans and a blood red blouse, her honey colored hair fluttered around her face, and settled about half way down her back, being held up by a huge blue headband, and nearly chestnut eyes smiled at the 5th year students before her as she stretched and bowed to them.  "Ohayou, Minna-san!" she called cheerfully and gained a few muttered responses.

Raising an eyebrow the young adult looked around and crossed her arms. "I'm terribly flattered you all feel so happy to see me.  Really, is it becaus I'm american? Or is that just how you greet your usual teacher?" she asked in very present amusement and rei suddenly perked up next to Chihiro, who seemed to be able to sense a, very familiar aura in her friend.

'Wonderful,' The brunette groaned inwardly, 'She's found a kindred spirit...if this turns out the way I fear it may, they'll have the entire class tied up, or roleplaying some anime before the end bell rings..'  she sighed and sunk lower in her seat.

Making a face she set off trying to push the memory that slipped into her mind. 

That of a very dangerous looking Reikon, mauvish black hair pulled back into a half hazard ponytail, dancing around the room after some invisible animal, or...insect that had apparently 'made it's way' into the room during break, or so she claimed. Laughing absently Reikon hopped backwards a bit too hard trying to back up and catch whatever it was she was chasing, but managed to trip over her own backpack, sending herself sprawling on the ground at an oblivious Chihiro's desk. 

  
It was then that the poor brunette found herself being yanked down with the force of an 11 year older using HER arm as a steady to pull herself up.   She managed to grab the side of the desk, but the girl jumped up too quickly and they smacked heads roughly and Chihiro lost her balance and went toppling to the ground with the strange girl whom she'd come to call friend after that.

Now Chihiro could feel that very same energy around her friend at this very moment, "Rei-chan, behave, kudasai..." the brunette pleaded quietly only to recieve a wink and smile in return from her over enthusiastic companion.

Actually, at that very moment both girls were having about the same thought, 'Who is this new teacher, and what happened to Hogosha-sensei?'

"Well then, shall we try this again? I know it's a beautiful spring day out, and everybody, including...no especially myself, would much rather be out there doing, well whatever it is you do for fun around here.  Well, you're all so young, you have imaginations left...but I'm babbling.  Just humor me here, please? I'm new to this school, let alone the country of Japan, give a new teacher a helping hand here." she said, her cheerful alto/soprano voice almost laughing for her as she spoke.  

"Kay? I'd pretend to walk back in, but, the initial moments already passed, so... Ohayou Minna-san!" she repeated cheerfully. 

With that the entire class replied with the formal "Ohayou gozaimasu!" except for one nearly black haired child, who decided to hop on her seat, and bow down to the new teacher in a full fledged curtsy for all to see.

"Boys and girls of my class 5-B, it is of my greatest pleasure," she looked up and saw 'Ashely Leiland' written on the board, and smiled, "to welcome Leiland-sensei, to Sakura Crest Elementary school, room 5-B. Formally Hogosha-sensei's class, now we are in your ever (I do hope) capable hands..."

A few of her classmates giggled furiously, while others managed to call out a more cheerful welcome to the new teacher, and it was with this that Chihiro took a chance, leapt up, and dragged her friend back to her seat roughly, nearly sending them crashing out of their seats in her rush, and looked up to see Ms. Leiland smiling broadly.

"That's the spirit! I can definitely tell this will be a good rest of the year, and I do look forward to being your teacher for the entirety of the term, and yes, my dears, I will be your teacher from now on.  Aiko Hogosha has decided, mostly in part of the birth of her lovely baby girl, to be a stay at home mommy from now on! So, like it or not, you're stuck with me." she clapped her hands and the kids looked at each other then up at their new teacher with a mixture of enjoyment and inquisitiveness.

What was this girl about? She definitely didn't seem like the normal teacher, she didn't even seem old enough to be out of school herself, let alone teaching other kids.

On the other hand, Chihiro watched her, smiling sadly, and blinking with some curious recognition.  This all too American teacher reminded her faintly of Rin, and it was heartening, though it made her heart ache again deep down.

She decided, along with Rei-chan, that she liked this teacher, though wanted to find out more about her, and found she'd have her chance tomorrow, when the announcement was made that there would be no homework accept to enjoy the afternoon, and to come back the next day.  She promised to explain more about herself, and that there would then be assignments, but nothing that 'this class of brilliant minds' couldn't handle.

With that they settled into a reasonable fac-similie of their morning routine of literature homework, and discussions.

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Towards the end of the day, when everybody was back from break and settled down in their seats, Leiland sama gave everybody the last 10 minutes of the day to chat, or do whatever it is they wished, 'within reason and political correctness, of course.'  and had taken to talking with Reikon, who had ambled over straight away and began chattering as if they'd been friends for years.

Chihiro on the other hand, had gone back to her own little world, finished off her drawing finally, and looked it over, drifting back into a memory from not so long ago.  Smiling absently she became oblivious to the world around her once more.

Unfortunately however, the young girl also became aware of a weariness in her that hadn't been there before, she was sure.  It wasn't horrible, and it wasn't overpowering, it was just...she was tired.  Not that she'd done anything strenuous in gym class, mind.   
  


Maybe she'd been day dreaming too much, 'I've been doing it so much lately, my mind longs for the dream world even when awake huh? I guess my teacher's right, I need to cool off a bit,' she mused to herself and was startled yet again, by Reikon tapping at her head.

"Knock it off would ya? What do I look like? A wooden desk? Are you superstitious or something?" she asked and swatted her friends hand away.

"Hiro-chan, you plan on staying here over night or something? Cause, you know, I can always bring a sleeping back back up here for ya." her friend asked and tugged at her sleeve.

"No, that's ok Rei-chan, I don't plan on sleeping over night...being in school during the daytime is bad enough as it is," she joked and got up, slamming her notebook down quickly and causing her drawing to flutter to the ground at her friends feet.

"I better get going Rei-chan, I still need to ask mom and dad about the sleepover tomorow night.  That and chores to do of course!  Would you call me later on?" she called and ran out o the room still semi caught up in her day dream daze.

Reiko nodded then looked down and started, "Oi! Wait Chi-chan, you left your--hello, what's this?" the curious child paused in her movements and bent over, picking up the piece of paper and flipping it over.  Eyes widening she examined the picture carefully, a look of quiet awe gracing her expression.

A stunning white dragon with a bluish green mane and brilliant green eyes filled her vision and she blinked at the realistic image before her, flying gracefully over a field, body and heads in the clouds.

She touched the newly finished picture gently as she wandered absently out of the classroom. 'Chihiro...' she thought to herself quietly and sighed, looking up to see her friend disappear absently down the steps of their school, lost in a dream known only to the mysterious brunette.

"Oh Chihiro-chan..." she murmured sadly, looking between her friend and the picture in her hands.

  
What she couldn't hear was the quiet whisper of "Haku..." mumbled gently to the wind, from her sister of the heart.

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TM: Good? Bad? Trash it?   
  
Kat: *raises an eyebrow*  
  
TM: *Ducks a random object thrown by Liz for the comment and grins* well since I'm currently duct taped to the chair and computer, I won't be going very far, so expect chapter 2 very soon... *nods*   
  
General shout-out: My Best friend and "Sister of the Heart" Liz aka WYLTK a wonderful authoress, and an even better friend.  Check her stories out! And be kind! ^O.o^ I'm an Inu-Hanyou with a rep...give me a reason and I'll have to sharpen my claws on ya *Flexes nails and smirks toothily*  
  


Take care all!  
  
Oh, see that button down there? it's there for a reason. *nods* hint hint. ^^;

  
  


  
  
  



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